7 Tips to Manage Stress Before Board Exams

Students across the country dread the board exams – and with good reason. With everyone from your parents to the teachers and even the neighbors telling you how important they are, we understand if you feel like freaking out.

Fortunately, freaking out doesn’t have to be a part of the board exam process. There are numerous ways you can chill out, and some of them are mentioned here:

1. Sleep Properly: No matter how many of your friends are studying late into the night, or how many times you are tempted to burn the midnight oil, don’t do it. You might think that this one all-nighter will help you finish the syllabus in time and improve your marks – it won’t.

It’s the worst thing you can do, really. Compromising on your sleep means that you lose your ability to focus the next day, and you can’t study as well as you would have liked to. And it’s scientifically proven, too – the less you sleep, the more your body releases cortisol into the blood – which is the stress hormone.

Sleep around 6-8 hours every day to stay sharp and focused. Also, maintain a regular sleeping pattern. It lets your body know when it’s time to rest and when to be alert. This is perhaps the most important tip, so be sure to follow it.

2. Make a Plan: We all loved Ironman in The Avengers when he mocked Captain America by saying, “I have a plan – attack.” But the Captain did have a point, you know! It’s always advisable to have a strategy, or, in the Captain’s words – “a plan of attack.”

List down all subjects you have, and beside each subject write the topics you have to cover. Keep a calendar nearby. Then very comprehensively write down by what date you want to finish what topic. Then comes the most important part of the plan – sticking to it.

Remember not to be overambitious, because not being able to adhere to the schedule will only put you down. At the same time, finish your syllabus fast enough for revision time.

More specifically, try to study intermittently. That is, take short, frequent breaks to keep your mind alert and stress at bay. It’s better than studying for long hours at a stretch because your brain’s productivity decreases with time (if you don’t give it a break)

3. Eat Right: We know, we know – its super tempting to reach out to that packet of Oreos or Lays and munch away while studying. A lot of us like to eat comfort food to stave off the anxiety – but that’s ill-advised, to say the least.

It’s more important for your brain to stay sharp than for your taste buds to stay happy. And your brain doesn’t need sugar – it needs vitamins! And minerals, and the kind of stuff you find in leafy vegetables, juicy fruits and so on. Try to keep the fatty foods to a minimum. It doesn’t do anything for the brain.

And, as is always the case with any kind of food advice, try to drink lots of water! Staying hydrated is a great way to keep your mind fresh. Ideally, it’s advised to drink around 2 litres of water a day or more to flush out the toxins.

4. Eliminate Distractions: We all love to text and chat and watch TV while studying. It helps to keep the mood light and keep us going, right? Well, wrong. All distractions only serve to add to the tension in the long run. And here’s how.

Well, naturally all the time you spend on Facebook or watching the telly won’t come back. So the wasted time only makes it harder to stick to your study regimen, and will add to the pressure at the end when there’s little time to revise. And you don’t want to be in that position.

We understand you have to take breaks, but looking at a screen is probably the worst way to relax. It doesn’t really help the mind relax, and you’re still sitting or lying down. Your body needs a good shake-up once in a while. Just to keep the blood flowing.

5. Shake It Off: So, you want to take a break! As you should, of course. Notwithstanding the scary scene from The Shining, all work, and no play does make Jack a dull boy. But as we just said, stay away from the screens and the virtual world. Go have fun in the outside world.

Go for a stroll in the neighbourhood, maybe even cycling. If you like meditation or what is these days called mindfulness, try that out too. It’s a great way to relax the body and mind. And it’s best done on the outside, maybe in a park with lots of fresh air.

6. Have a Ball: The simplest way to avoid stress is to, well, avoid stress! Enjoy the process. Board exams are a crucial part of everyone’s life, and people rarely forget those days. So make it fun, this is an experience which will only come once in our life.

Listen to music – especially classical music. Maybe the Mozart Effect isn’t scientific fact, but what’s the harm in trying, right? If you have puppies in your home or the neighbourhood, well, play with them! It helps manage tension. Also, puppies are adorable.

7. Positive Attitude: A wise man once told his students, “These board exams, just like you, will pass.” Keep a positive mindset, be brave, and it will work out.

And if you’re feeling down and out, there are lots of things you can do to get back on your feet. Firstly, you can talk to someone. Anyone. Friends, family, teachers, and even (you guessed it) puppies. Letting it out really helps to calm the nerves. In fact, if you have an online tutor from Vedantu, talking to these tutors also helps.